Customer Appreciation Program Announced on the 30th
Retroactive Application for Customers Who Canceled Since September
Benefits Include Data and OTT Subscription Vouchers
KT announced on the 30th that it fully acknowledges the recent incidents involving micropayment fraud and information leakage, and will waive early termination fees for customers who wish to cancel their contracts.
On this day, KT CEO Kim Youngseop held a press briefing at KT Gwanghwamun West in Jongno-gu, Seoul, where he announced a customer appreciation program and KT's information security innovation plan.
Kim Youngseop (right), CEO of KT, is attending the National Assembly audit related to the hacking incident conducted by the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 21st, listening to the lawmakers' reprimands. 2025.10.21 Photo by Kim Hyunmin
CEO Kim stated, "I deeply apologize to all customers who have suffered damages due to the security breach," and added, "We will take the findings of the joint public-private investigation team seriously and do our utmost to minimize customer damage and inconvenience."
KT, together with the joint public-private investigation team, has taken measures such as blocking abnormal access by illegal devices, conducting thorough inspections of company-wide servers, and removing malicious code. Additionally, for customers identified as potentially affected, KT immediately blocked micropayment services and is implementing customer protection measures such as free replacement of USIM cards to reassure customers.
KT stated that, taking full responsibility for the incident, it will waive early termination fees for customers who wish to cancel their KT mobile service contracts.
This applies to customers who wish to cancel their KT mobile service contracts from tomorrow (the 31st) until January 13 of next year. Customers who already canceled their contracts between September 1 and today will also be eligible retroactively.
However, customers who signed up for new contracts, changed devices, or renewed their contracts after September 1, as well as customers using budget phones, IoT devices, or whose contracts were terminated by KT, are excluded from the fee waiver.
The fee waiver will be processed through a refund application system. From January 14 to January 31 of next year, customers can apply for refunds via the KT website, customer service center, and KT stores nationwide. Starting tomorrow, a dedicated page will be launched for checking eligibility and estimated fees, and individual notifications will also be sent via text message.
Refunds will be processed sequentially on January 22, February 5, and February 19 of next year, depending on the contract cancellation and application dates. For customers who do not apply within the application period, KT will provide individual notifications up to three times.
KT also announced that, in order to restore customer trust, it will launch a "Customer Appreciation Program" for all customers using KT services as of the termination date for the fee waiver (January 13).
First, to reduce the burden of communication costs, 100GB of data will be automatically provided each month for six months. However, this does not apply to customers with suspended service, IoT devices, or prepaid phones.
For customers using international roaming, KT will provide an additional 50% of roaming data, and the current roaming-related programs will be extended for six months until August 2026.
In the content sector, KT will offer a six-month subscription to one of two online video streaming services (OTT), with details on eligible services to be announced later.
For daily life benefits, KT will run a "Popular Membership Discount" program for six months, focusing on partner stores such as coffee shops, cinemas, bakeries, and ice cream shops. Participating partners and discount details will be announced prior to implementation.
Additionally, to alleviate customer concerns, KT will provide a "Safety and Security Insurance" policy for two years. This insurance will cover damages from mobile phone phishing and hacking, online shopping mall fraud, and secondhand transaction scams. Customers aged 65 and older will receive this benefit automatically without a separate application process.
KT will operate a dedicated customer service center to provide prompt and accurate information. Through this center, customers can receive guidance on the customer appreciation program, application and usage methods, and inquiries related to the fee waiver.
Meanwhile, to prevent recurrence of such incidents, KT has launched a company-wide "Information Security Innovation Task Force" and will comprehensively strengthen its security management system for fundamental and structural information security innovation.
KT plans to enhance management standards across its network and communication services, and to establish security as a company-wide responsibility by upgrading regular security inspections and reporting systems at the executive and board levels.
Over the next five years, KT will invest 1 trillion won in information security, and will sequentially strengthen its core security capabilities, including expanding and reinforcing its zero trust system, advancing integrated security monitoring, strengthening access rights management, and expanding encryption.
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